Susan Hoover Leoni, 76, of Holmes, NY, passed away May 5, 2025, at Hudson Valley Hospice House in Hyde Park, NY. She passed peacefully in her sleep with her children by her side.
Born March 11, 1949, in Atlanta, GA, Susan was the daughter of the late Jerald and Irene (McCabe) Hoover. After high school, she attended Stetson University in Florida where she met her future husband, Robert E. Leoni Jr. who predeceased her.
The newlyweds settled in Connecticut, where their family eventually doubled in size. In 1976, the little family moved to Marietta, GA where Susan focused on her family and community. As her children became more independent, Susan added aerobics instructor to her list of jobs. In 1983, the family moved back north to Larchmont, NY where she met many new friends in the community and through her jobs at the Research Firm and the White Plains Hospital.
In 2000, Susan and her husband purchased a home in Holmes, NY where the spent weekends. After Bob’s passing, Susan retired and eventually made the Whaley Lake house her permanent residence. She made many new friends here, and enjoyed time sharing her fondness for animals, art and the natural world with them.
From a young age, Susan loved horses. While she wasn't able to have one as a girl, she did have them as an adult. Susan was also a prolific artist, working in many areas of the field including, ceramics, drawing, tile murals, oil painting and watercolors. She has shown her art at many small galleries and has passed her love of it to her son, Jerry. Susan also enjoyed bird watching and gardening.
Susan is survived by her two sons, Robert (Rob) E. Leoni Ill of Somerville, MA and Jerald (Jerry) R. Leoni of Hudson, NY; her daughter-in-law Julie A. Belock of Somerville, MA and grandson Robert E. Leoni IV, also of Somerville.
The family requests that donations be made to the Dutchess County SPCA in lieu of flowers.
Arrangements are under the direction of Horn & Thomes, Inc. Funeral Home, 83 East Main Street, Pawling, NY.
